>> scott stapp and his band. thank you for supporting fox and being here. the album comes out next year. follow them on social media. >> watch through the weekend. >> sandra: funeral services for aretha franklin about to get underway in detroit. a star-studded remembrance for the queen of soul. bill clinton, smokey robinson and stevie wonder. the celebration of aretha franklin's life comes two weeks after her death from pancreatic cancer. more on this as it gets underway. meanwhile, washington saying farewell to john mccain. we're awaiting the arrival of the senator's casket on capitol hill where he will lie in state. friends and colleagues gathering there for an

emotional goodbye. good morning, i'm sandra smith live inside "america's newsroom." >> jon: good morning to you, i'm jon scott in for bill hemmer. mourners gathered if phoenix yesterday to celebrate the life of the six-term senator. joe biden lost his son to the same aggressive form of brain cancer and larry fitzgerald who became friends with mccain in the last few years. >> john was a hero. his character, courage, honor, integrity. i think the thing understated is his optimism. that's what made john special. made john a giant among all of us. >> many people might wonder what a young african-american kid from minnesota and a highly decorated vietnam war hero turned united states senator might have in common. i'm black, he was white. [laughter] i'm young, he wasn't so young.

[laughter] how does this unlikely pair become friends? i've asked myself this same question. but do you know what the answer is? that's just who he is. >> jon: mike emanuel is live for us on capitol hill. set the stage, mike, for what is going to happen today. >> good morning. we expect it to be quite a tribute to the legendary life and service of senator john mccain. only the 30th person to lie in state in the united states capitol rotunda. v.i.p. speeches for this type of event. mitch mcconnell, paul ryan, vice president mike pence representing the trump administration and also some bipartisan presentation of wreaths. mcconnell and schumer, ryan and pelosi and one by the vice president. we expect the president's cabinet. chairman of the joint chiefs of

staffs and respective chiefs and diplomatic corps to be on hand. arrivals next hour with the ceremony to be in the 11:00 a.m. eastern hour. >> jon: what's the tone been like on capitol hill since the senator died? >> sadness. a lot of senators talking about mccain as the mentor to him. his commitment to our men and women in uniform. his willingness to fight on issues he believed deeply about. a sample of that tone from the senate leaders. >> more than 30 years as a senator he never failed to marshall a razor sharp wit, a big heart and fiery spirit. >> we can try as he did to put country before party. we can try as we always did to speak truth to power.

>> mcconnell says the senate will not be the same without senator john mccain once the v.i.p.s are done around lunch time today, the public will have an opportunity to file in, pay their respects, and pray for john mccain. john. >> jon: tremendous honor for an american hero. mike emanuel, thank you, mike. >> sandra: for more on all this let's bring in "fox news sunday" anchor chris wallace. good morning. good to have you on the program this morning. this ceremony today in washington will follow that very emotional goodbye to the late senator yesterday. >> absolutely. it's one of the things that has struck me, how many great stories there are about john mccain because he was such a colorful character, such a larger than life character and had such a joy for life. whether it was dealing with his colleagues in the senate or dealing with his absolute passion for sports and people like the wide receiver

fitzgerald of the arizona cardinals. but the thing that strikes me is for all the talk and the gauzy talk, this was a man of real consequence and a man of real purpose. we used to get some criticism as host of the sunday talk show why do you have john mccain on so often? i've been looking back at his record over the past few days. part of the reason was, sandra, because he was at the center of the action on so many issues. just in the last decade or so. whether you agreed or disagreed with him, he was one of the champions of legislation, bipartisan legislation on campaign finance reform. he and ted kennedy tried to work out a bill on immigration reform. he helped lead the push in the senate to pass and get the president to sign a measure that limited enhanced interrogation and said we'll go back to the army field manual in terms of how we interrogate the terror prisoners. he put together the gang of 14 to try to stop the judicial

filibusters but not to invoke the nuclear option in addition to the fact he ran for president in 2008 and 2012 -- i'm sorry, 2000 and 2008. so he was a man of enormous consequence and at the center of action and why did we have him on sunday shows so often? because you would be missing the action if you weren't talking to john mccain. >> sandra: chris, your wonderful team "fox news sunday" team in washington put together this spectacular video montage of the interviews to which you refer of the many interviews you had with john mccain over the years and you two really had a very unique relationship. obviously a lot of serious topics the two of you discussed, but a lot of laughter and humor as well. >> i also have a guest book, and i get my guests to sign it. over the course of 14 years it's a pretty great book. it's four books. whenever i would do an interview with him he would always sign it and say this is

my favorite interrogation since the hanoi hilton. so he had quite a sense of humor about himself and about the situation. and look, he could get mad. there were times when he felt i pushed too hard and you would be put in the penalty box for a while but he understood the role of a free press to challenge and to question people like him and he would always come back and he held a grudge but not for long. >> sandra: what will the u.s. senate look like in john mccain's absence, chris? >> this is one of the points. it really gets to what i was just saying about the fact he was at the center of the action. because what he was all about was addressing the nation's problem and trying to get things done. i'm sure a lot of our viewers are thinking i disagreed with him on immigration or enhanced interrogation. he was trying to build a coalition to get something done. part of the problem in the senate and congress right now

is they don't get anything done. they don't solve anything. to the degree that they have, it's they use parliamentary devices where they can ram it through on a straight party line vote through budget reconciliation. that works for some issues but it doesn't work for a lot of the big issues. and that's why we haven't seen immigration reform and haven't seen a solution on some of these other major problems. entitlement reform. when you say what's the senate going to look like and congress look like? it will be poorer for it. but john mccain would say and he made that very powerful speech when he came back in july of 2017 after the diagnosis of brain cancer, and he basically said this place is broken. and stop listening to the talk radio hosts or the right or the left and let's try to work together to accomplish things. they haven't done that for a long time and the fact that john mccain is gone makes it even that much less likely that they'll accomplish anything of real substance where the two

sides come together and compromise. that's what the founders wanted our leaders to do. >> sandra: arizona governor has a tough job to do. name a replacement for mccain until he won't do until john mccain is laid to rest. by the way, chris, you do not want to miss his show this weekend on "fox news sunday". you'll be speaking with senate judiciary committee member lindsey graham and dick durbin. catch it this sunday at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. eastern on the fox news channel. chris, thank you very much for being here this morning. >> may i just say, you did a bang-up job on my show last week. don't get too comfortable in that chair. you were a little too good at it. >> sandra: that's a highest compliment. thank you very much, chris. it was an honor to sit in that chair last weekend. thank you. >> jon: president trump is set to depart for charlotte in a few hours after stumping for republican senate candidate mike braun in indiana last

night. he took swipes at hillary clinton and the russia investigation before taking his own justice department to task. >> president trump: our justice department and our f.b.i. have to start doing their job and doing it right and doing it now. what's happening is a disgrace. if it doesn't straighten out properly, i want them to do their job. i will get involved and i'll get in there if i have to. [cheering and applause] >> jon: what does that mean? doug mcelway joins us live from the white house. >> jon, it appeared that the relationship between president trump and attorney general jeff sessions could not have gotten any worse after last week when the attorney general said he would not be improperly influenced by political considerations. last night it did get worse. late yesterday afternoon the president did an interview with three bloomburg reporters in the oval office quoting from the follow-up piece. he said attorney general jeff

session's job is safe at least until the november elections in november. asked if he would keep sessions beyond november, he declined to comment. the president went on to vaguely suggest that sessions' fate my hinge on whether or not he opens an investigation into hillary clinton. listen to the audio. >> president trump: i would just like to have jeff sessions do his job and if he did i'd be very happy. but the job entails two sides, not one side. >> that a reference to opening an investigation into hillary clinton. a few hours later at last night's rally in indiana the president threatened to intervene himself. to what extent he didn't say. the quip you played saying i will get involved and get in there if i have to. the president's frustration is clearly mounting, no doubt magnified by the prospects of democrats taking over the house in the mid-term elections at

which point all republican investigations of all things d.o.j. and f.b.i. and russia collusion will come to a halt to be replaced by democratic investigations in the house of all things donald trump potentially leading up to impeachment proceedings. although many democratic leaders are suggesting that should not be done for fear of blowback in the 2020 presidential elections. jon. >> jon: it's a big day for nafta as well. what's the latest on those talks? >> those talks with canada continue. the latest is the president is expected to send a letter to congress today informing them of a broad outline. but like the agreement reached with mexico, the details are very short on the canada agreement, very long on threats. >> president trump: we'll see what happens. and if it doesn't happen, we'll put tariffs on the cars coming in from canada and that will be

even better. but i think it is going to happen. and we've really developed a very good relationship. >> the administration under severe pressure to get something done before the mid-terms so it can claim victory even if it's a hollow victory. >> jon: doug, thank you. >> sandra: potentially more problems for bruce ohr amid new reports of a mueller deputy being kept in the loop about the trump dossier. congressman adam kinzinger is our headliner and he will weigh in on all of this at the top of the 10:00 hour. >> jon: in new mexico seven people were killed in a head-on collision involving a bus and semi. details on what led to this tragedy straight ahead. let's say it in a really low voice. carl? lowest price, guaranteed. just stick with badda book. badda boom. book now at choicehotels.com

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pah! thano, no, no, nah.k. a bulb of light?!? aha ha ha! a flying machine? impossible! a personal' computer?! ha! smart neighborhoods running on a microgrid. a stadium powered with solar. a hospital that doesn't lose power. amazing. i like it. never gonna happen. >> sandra: startling news out of the middle east. iran transported ballistic missiles to iraq over the past through months and working on boosting its capacity to build more weapons there in an effort

to deter enemy attacks. the news coming amid heightened tensions between the u.s. and iran over president trump's decision to pull out of the controversial nuclear deal. >> what greater cause could we hope to serve than helping keep america the strong beacon of liberty and defender of dignity of all human beings and their right to freedom and equal justice? that is the cause that binds us and is so much more powerful than the small differences that divide us. >> jon: we're awaiting a ceremony celebrating the life of john mccain. the late senator set to receive the extraordinary honor of lying in state today in the capitol rotunda where he served for nearly four decades. let's bring in ann elise sauer.

the news out of iran is what mccain would have been all over. military and america's strength was a key components of his office there on capitol hill. >> you're exactly right. i was privileged to work with him on military issues as defense for several years and staff director on the armed services committee. he was unfailingly on the side of our military men and women and their families. he put national security in front of every other issue of importance to him and there were many, many issues in which he played a prominent part. his unfailing attitude of going after what's right even if he only got two votes on an amendment on the senate floor was inspirational and awesome and he will be greatly missed in this very difficult time in which we find ourselves. >> jon: i wonder if you can take me back to the very first

time you met him. i mean, he was something of a legend and it must have been a little intimidating. >> he was less of a ledge aend when i first met him as navy liaison officer working with senator john tower at the time and one of his reasons for getting into politics. he was amusing, he was irreverent. a hell of a lot of fun but he worked very hard and his growth and success as a united states senator representing arizona and our nation across the world is inspirational to me. >> jon: the seeds he planted. he spoke with people like former senator kelly ayat who learned a lot about the armed services and america's place in the world by president mccain. the seeds he planted will live on among sitting senators, will they not? >> absolutely. we miss him very much. he was a terrific senator --

she was a good friend to senator mccain. he left behind a legacy with senator graham and others here as well as people who are serving in all walks of our government and in the private sector to honor the legacy of his commitment to our country and its security and its place in the world. and i think those people will serve his legacy well. >> jon: so as, you know, he is going to be lying in state in the capitol rotunda, only the 30th person to be so honored in the history of this nation. i'm sure you will join those who say it is well deserved for a senator like this. >> it is well deserved. it is a sad day for us all. i'm honored to be included with his family and friends. we will have a tough weekend and i hope he is looking down on us from heaven and enjoying every moment of it. >> jon: i imagine he has a smile. he often did. ann, thank you very much.

>> sandra: fox news alert. achaotic seen after a semi truck collides with bus in new mexico. what police are saying may have caused this deadly crash. >> jon: plus a former nbc news producer who worked with ronan farrow said the network spiked its story on sexual assault allegations against weinstein. how nbc is responding. over one mistake. see, liberty mutual doesn't hold grudges. for drivers with accident forgiveness liberty mutual won't raise their rates because of their first accident. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty ♪ our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition... for strength and energy! whoo-hoo! great-tasting ensure. with nine grams of protein and twenty-six vitamins and minerals. ensure. now up to 30 grams of protein for strength and energy!

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>> jon: a former nbc producer now claims that he and reporter ronan farrow were ordered by that network to stop pursuing their story on sexual assault allegations against harvey weinstein. an investigation that farrow was able to public in new yorker magazine. he said i was ordered not to do

the interview and killing the story. that was unethical and a massive breach of journalistic integrity. nbc denies those claims saying the assertion that nbc news tried to kill the weinstein story while ronan farrow was at nbc news or after he left is an outright lie. >> sandra: fox news alert as we learn more about a horrific bus crash if new mexico. seven people confirmed dead after a greyhound bus collided head on with a semi truck on thursday morning. the truck blew a tire, crossed over the median and hit the bus. jonathan hunt joins us from our los angeles bureau. jonathan, this is just a horrific scene. >> yes, sandra, we were watching as the first pictures started trickling in from this remote part of new mexico. it was obvious straightaway this was a major incident and

many were likely to be killed and injured. the front of the bus was essentially ripped off completely. 49 people were on board. it had left albuquerque yesterday afternoon heading here to l.a. about two hours into the journey this horrific scene unfolded. other drivers who were on i-40 at the time jumped out of their vehicles and became, in essence, first responders. listen here. >> there is a lot of people with injuries. the most minor to the most severe, which you can only imagine what most severe could be. so there was a lot of screaming and yelling and a lot of people in need and just going to anybody for help. >> seven people confirmed dead, as you said, sandra. several are still in local hospitals in new mexico. we do not have a number on how many of those are in critical

condition, sandra. >> sandra: there is an investigation underway? >> yeah. the ntsb immediately activated a go team. they are due to arrive at the crash scene sometime this morning. police obviously have already been investigating. they say they believe that the big rig blew a tire. the driver of the big rig who actually survived also told police that. but even before that informal investigation got underway officials were trying to i.d. the dead and the injured. listen here. >> it is going the take investigators quite a while to go through and identify who was sitting where and who were the drivers and who were the passengers. >> greyhound put out a statement in which they said, in part, quote, we're fully cooperating with local authorities and will also

complete an investigation of our own. a genuinely horrific scene on i-40, sandra. in some ways when you look at those pictures, it is a miracle that many more people on board that bus were not killed. sandra. >> sandra: jonathan hunt, thank you. >> jon: president trump issues a warning to his own justice department. what it could mean for jeff sessions' future as attorney general. karl rove joins us to weigh in. >> sandra: we'll take you live to the star studded celebration of the life of aretha franklin. ♪ so you have, your headphones, chair, new laptop, 24/7 tech support. yep, thanks guys. i think he might need some support. yes. start them off right, with the school supplies they need at low prices all summer long. now save $150 on this dell notebook at office depot officemax.

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>> sandra: the queen of soul gets a royal final farewell. aretha franklin will be laid to rest after a star-studded celebration of her life in

detroit. laura engel is live with more. there have been some last-minute changes to the service? >> sandra, indeed. this was originally billed as an invitation-only service. but in the middle of last-minute prep her family members last night decided they wanted to open it up to 1,000 members of the public saying she wasn't just the queen of soul, she was also a person of the people. and line up they have. aretha franklin called detroit home and her hometown has shown up in big numbers to pay their respects. they're all lined up this morning to get into what is expected to be an epic celebration of her life. her fans lining up for days for public viewing. she lied in repose in an open gold-plated casket complete with wardrobe changes. dressed in all red for the first viewing, powder blue for the second and another today. a massive tribute concert was held last night in her honor and her family members in attendance.

>> truly inspiring to see how many hearts and how many people my grandma has touched. i just want to say thank you and that we appreciate you so much from the bottom of our hearts. >> there is so much to get through today. impressive list of the speakers from politics and entertainment. former president bill clinton, smokey robinson and clive davis. we were here last night for sound check for some of the performers, which was very cool. 19 performers in all today. it will be something. stevie wonder, faith hill, jennifer hudson, and the aretha franklin orchestra will be playing her out in the music biz one last time. >> sandra: quite a legacy they'll be remembering there today. there is also a parade of pink cadillacs on hand. a nod to one of her biggest hits? >> there is. this was so cool this morning when they showed up. over 100 pink cadillacs. you might remember she won her 12th grammy for her song

freeway of love which has the lyrics we're going riding on the freeway of love in my pink cadillac. pink cadillac owners heard the call and came from all over the country and pulled up in detroit to pay their respects for the special tribute lining up outside the church like police vehicles do at funerals for their fallen officers. that idea coming from the temple's bishop an his wife. another cadillac will be used to transport her body. it was the same hearse used for her father and rosa parks. the service is expected to last at least five hours. organizers wanted to give an appropriate send-off to match her legacy and by the looks of things that's exactly what's about to happen. >> sandra: what a sight those pink cadillacs lining up there. what a day is planned to remember the queen of soul. laura en

-- engel. >> president trump: our justice department and our f.b.i. have to start doing their job and doing it right. people are angry. people are angry. what's happening is a disgrace. if it doesn't straighten out properly, i want them to do their job. i will get involved and i'll get in there if i have to. >> jon: president trump firing a warning shot at the justice department last night in indiana just hours after telling bloomberg news that attorney general jeff sessions will stay on at least until the mid-term elections in november. karl rove was deputy white house chief of staff to president george w. bush. let's get his thoughts on this. karl, the president has long made it plain he is unhappy with his own attorney general and justice department. he feels the campaign that put him in the oval office is getting a raw deal while

everybody in the justice department he seems to think is treating the hillary clinton campaign with kid gloves. what are your thoughts? >> i think it's unwise for any president of any party to look like he is demanding that the justice department investigate his political opponents. it is just unseemly. i think a good test of this is turn about. what if hillary clinton had won the election? would we be excited about hillary clinton calling upon her attorney general to investigate donald trump over the meeting at the trump tower? bill clinton, would it have been seemly if he had said i want ronald reagan lied about iran-contra and i want him investigated and colonel oliver north needs to go to jail or casper weinberger, who was pardoned by president george w. bush, we need to get behind that and somebody needs to go to jail? this isn't how we should do things in america. the president i think would be well advised not to be making

these kind of demands. ironically we're in a place where attorney general sessions was forced to recuse himself because in 1978 democrats concerned about the political use of the justice department under richard nixon and republicans concerned about the political use of the justice department under john kennedy whose brother was attorney general, passed a law requiring standards to be set for recusal. the number one standard is has the attorney general been involved in the political campaign of the president? ironically these kind of questions have arisen before. presidents are well-advised to stay away. imagine what would happen, jon, if jeff sessions had begun the investigation and left office or the f.b.i. director began this investigation at the president's direction and left office. what kind of confirmation fight would there be? if jeff sessions leaves after the mid-terms you can bet his

nominated successor by president trump will face some very tough questions about the independence of the justice department if he is confirmed. >> jon: that's a question i was going to ask. it doesn't look like jeff sessions will be long for the job after november. who does the president nominate who will be able to get confirmed by the senate? >> well, if there is a republican majority they might be able to get confirmed no matter if it's a quality individual. but there will be asked some very tough questions about whether or not they will -- about the political independence of the justice department. this has been a concern for republicans in the past. it has been a concern for democrats in the past. and you can bet there will be a lot of questions about whether or not you are going to take your direction from the president if the president has an enemies list of his political opponents, are you going to follow his instructions and open investigations on those people? that will be a very difficult questions for any potential nominee to ask. i must admit i've known jeff sessions for long time. i think it is a big mistake for the president to force him out

of offers. that confirmation battle even if successful will leave the president bleeding all over the place. >> jon: the same questions are going to continue to be asked, right? whoever were to take jeff sessions' place if it happens will you go after the hillary clinton campaign, right? >> right. >> jon: the president is frustrated that hasn't happened. he is going to expect this person, whoever he or she might be, to pursue that investigation. >> yeah. and they will be asked did the president in your discussions before your nomination ask you for a pledge that you will investigate and prosecute hillary clinton? look, it's not good for our country. look, don't ask me to defend what hillary clinton did with her email server. i think it is one of the most atrocious things we've seen in public life. is the better interest of the

public spent in relitigating that question in the court of law? i'm not certain that's good for our country. >> jon: so the president is not shying away from making public announcements of this. you think he would be better to leave the issue alone? >> now if there is an investigation. we have ongoing inspector general investigations that might lead to grounds that are necessary to bring about an indictment. how credible is that now going to be with the president having made this a political issue for the last 16 months since taking office? presidents are better to leave these in the hands of the department of justice to make this decision. it is led by his people. if they think there is something there they ought to follow the law and prosecute. but the idea the president going out there demanding it will color the impact of this and color the impression of it. i think damage the impartial administration of justice which is what the department of justice is responsible for doing. >> jon: karl rove is joining us

from colorado. do you get to spend labor day weekend there? >> i have to head home tomorrow. i have to tell you, jon, you are very popular. you must have been a great figure in aspen. the bartenders and ski bums remember you well here and fondly. >> jon: that's good. karl rove, good to have you on. >> sandra: thanks for the info, karl. all right. he is giving away your secrets. >> jon: it was too far to drive. i didn't go there very much. >> sandra: bruce ohr facing new controversy about his connection to the anti-trump dossier. why his communications with senior members of the f.b.i. are raising new questions. >> jon: honoring the life of john mccain, a ceremony about to get underway on capitol hill. why his legacy resonates with people across the political spectrum. >> it wasn't about politics with john. he could disagree on substance but the underlying values that

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>> jon: in chicago the roof of a water treatment plant collapses leaving 10 people injured after an explosion. rescuers had to dig out two people from the rubble. some were taken to hospital in serious and critical condition. a build-up of methane gas might have caused the explosion. it's a byproduct of the water treatment process. >> his capacity that we truly are the world's last best hope, that we're the beacon to the world. that there are principles and ideals if ourselves and suffering and sacrificing for and if necessary dying for. >> sandra: former vice president joe biden delivering a tearful eulogy to john mccain

at a memorial service in phoenix ahead of the service today in washington as we await the arrival of the motorcade at the u.s. capitol. sharing from another of the senator's friends. randy scheunemann who worked on mccanes 2000 and 2008 campaign. he joins us now. our condolences to you in the loss of your dear friend, john mccain. how will you look back and remember this man? >> i think of all the things i'll remember about john mccain. his heroism, his vision, his energy, it's really his optimism. for john mccain, he believed in american exceptionalism to the core of his being. it's not just american power that made us great in the world, it is american purpose. the sharing of american values that made us special, unique, and that will be his enduring foreign policy legacy. >> sandra: give us your sense

for what john mccain meant for american ideals and american foreign policy. >> well, if you travel anywhere in the world and people learn that you had some association with john mccain, as i was privileged to have, they will tell you a story about either seeing john mccain, hearing of him or how john mccain inspired them. he stood for human rights. he stood for freedom. he stood for opposition to tyranny and literally anywhere you would go there were people that would tell you john mccain inspired them. he would stand with the lowest, most downtrodden, most oppressed peoples whether in burma, belarus, ukraine. he would stand for democracy in very difficult situations in places like georgia. i had the privilege of traveling with him and he made his commitment evident through the time he devoted and the results that he helped create. >> sandra: randy, having worked

on the 2000 and 2008 campaigns with senator john mccain, you spent a lot of time with him and he wrote about you in his final book, the restless wave and he shared with the world a very special name he had for you. what was that? >> he called me his con siglyary. a tremendous honor. when you spend time with john, when you are flying to far-away places and trying to brief him before meetings with foreign leaders, it was always a special experience. he is intellectually curious and john always believed he could learn from others. that he wasn't the smartest person in the room. he could always learn from people in the room whether they were civic society activists or presidents and prime ministers. that's what i'll always remember, his ability to travel the world and learn about the world. not just tell the world what he thought it should do or should

be. >> sandra: soon washington will begin a new day with the absence of john mccain. what does his absence mean for washington, our politics and for the u.s. senate? >> well, john's legacy is multi-faceted but part of his legacy is in the many young senators that he brought along, that he recruited to the armed services committee, that he took to conferences in places like munich and halifax. and they will make sure that john mccain's vision stays alive as will the institutions like the mccain institute for international leadership, the international republican institute which promotes democracy around the world that john led for 25 years. all of them, even though john's voice is no longer with us, his vision will remain. >> sandra: randy scheunemann, a friend of john mccain's joining us on a day where america says goodbye to an american war hero. we appreciate your time this morning, randy. our condolences.

>> thank you. >> jon: also a day when we celebrate a musical legend's life. the world will say farewell to aretha franklin at her funeral in detroit. it is set to get underway at the top of the hour. we'll have that for you live. , guaranteed, when he books direct at choicehotels.com. or just say badda book, badda boom. book now at choicehotels.com.

>> sandra: california fire officials finally declaring the karr wildfire fully contained. the devastating fire broke out last month scorching nearly 360 square miles in and around redding in northern california. becoming the seventh largest wildfire in state history. eight people lost their lives and more than 1,000 homes were destroyed. >> jon: the u.s. state department says it's investigating citizenship fraud along the u.s./mexico border

claiming people are using fake birth certificates to apply for u.s. passports. casey stiegel is in dallas with more on that. >> fraud is the state department's reasoning for taking a closer look at these birth documents. more on that in a second. immigration lawyers, this came to light because they started reporting a big increase, large spike in the number of clients that were coming to them saying that their u.s. passports had been called into question. despite having a u.s. birth certificate, and despite being classified as a u.s. citizen, their whole lives. >> i don't think they had changed their policies but there has been a change where it's hard to tell because how can you issue one the first time without a problem and then the second time when they go to renew now there is a problem? >> it's also hard to tell because the numbers are tough to gauge. the state department doesn't release stats when it comes to passport fraud investigations

for security reasons. so there are some reports of people being stuck in mexico, their passports allegedly revoked when trying to reenter the u.s. or even some cases of people being detained at immigration detention centers. however, the u.s. state department pushing back on many of these reports saying fraudulent birth documents were once prevalent. in a statement a spokesperson for the state department says this is an irresponsible attempt to create division and stoke fear among american citizens while attempting to inflame tensions over immigration under the trump administration. domestic passport denyals for so-called midwife cases are at a six-year low. that's important to mention because midwives and physicians along the texas/mexico border were accused in the past of creating fraudulent birth documents and why they are speaking to midwives there and the state department says

anyone that was involved or delivered by one of these physicians that's under review, they're taking a closer look at those cases, jon. >> jon: let's hope they get to the bottom of it. thank you. >> sandra: moments from now funeral services begin for aretha franklin in detroit. legendary musicians set to perform and pay their respects to the queen of soul. we'll have more on this as it gets underway. >> jon: another celebration of life about to begin on capitol hill honoring john mccain. how washington is thanking the arizona senator for decades of service to his country. oh!

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i discovered the potential with ozempic®. ♪ oh! oh! oh! ozempic®! ♪ (vo) ask your healthcare provider if ozempic® is right for you. >> sandra: a day of mourning and remembrance for two national figures larger than life. welcome to a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom," i'm sandra smith. >> jon: i'm jon scott in for bill hemmer. the nation is saying a final farewell to the queen of soul. the funeral for aretha franklin set to begin right now in detroit, the city where she grew up and launched her legendary career. a star-studded affair with tributes from some of the biggest names in music. she died august 16th at age 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. >> sandra: in washington we're awaiting a ceremony for an american hero. john mccain's casket will lie in state tt capitol rotunda, the 31st person ever honored

that way. vice president mike pence and other political leaders will deliver remarks. we'll bring you complete coverage of this emotional event so keep it right here. meanwhile a celebration of life getting underway in detroit. a final hometown send-off for aretha franklin, the queen of soul and icon of respect in terms of both race and gender, juan williams joining us now to remember her life and legacy. good morning, juan. >> good morning, sandra. >> sandra: how will you remember the queen of soul? >> well, i think one of my favorite songs of all time is "a natural woman" written by carole king. when you listen to aretha franklin her gospel roots are evident in the power of her voice. her father was a preacher. even before this service here they had a viewing of aretha's

body at new bethel baptist, the church her father founded and where she first sang. i think that today when you are going to hear people like stevie wonder, jennifer hudson sing as her funeral you will see there is a range from gospel and worship of god and thanking god for her life to pop songs and things like -- remember "women are doing it for themselves." she had this range. i think it's why she is such an iconic figure well beyond the gospel community or the black community. i think she stood tall in terms of things like the women's movement as it was getting going back in the 60s, as well as the civil rights movement. she sang at dr. king's funeral. so this is someone who -- it is one of those one-name wonders, aretha. she is someone known to america and was known in such a way as

someone who inspired and touched us very deeply. >> sandra: former president bill clinton is expected to speak. al sharpton, the mayor of detroit, attorney general eric holder. as far as who is performing, i think that's really interesting. jennifer hudson, faith hill, clark sisters. you know, she reached out to -- she reached out to everybody. it is really showing up even this morning in the fact this was originally an invitation-only ceremony and her family decided that she sang to everyone. she included everyone when she sang her songs and they wanted everybody to be a part of this so they opened their doors to all. as far as aretha franklin's reach, she began so young singing in the church and she rose to fame so young and to have handled that in the way she did. a lot of people looking back at what an incredible business woman she was as well, juan.

>> i think that's right. so this is an interesting story that her dad didn't trust barry gordey and the motown folks where you think aretha, a detroit native in the 1960s would have ended up with diana ross and the temptations and smokey wonder and all that. he wanted her to go bigger, to be something of an american icon, which is what he got. he took her first to columbia records and later to atlantic records and that's where you start to see aretha really pop out in terms of the charts and reach number one. respect, as you said, was an otis redding song and interesting to me, otis redding wrote that about a man not being respected by his woman. aretha takes the song and becomes an anthem for women who want to be respected by their men. that's the power. she could translate a song from her soul to you.

i don't care who you are. you can feel the power of aretha. remember the blues brothers, the movie? >> sandra: i sure do. >> she shows up in the middle of the movie and starts singing respect right there in the diner in a waitress outfit. that's one of the most memorable moments in a great movie. >> sandra: her big screen debut. >> jon: wow. the la salle cadillac, 1940 cadillac hearse that will bring her body to the service, we understand, has also carried people like rosa parks and also used for the father of -- for aretha franklin's father. so it is a hearse that has carried notable people in detroit and it will honor the queen of soul. >> one last thing. you mentioned, do you know there are 12 pink cadillacs who

are going to come as an entourage to the funeral because of the name of her song that featured a tribute to pink cadillacs. that's the kind of reach she had in our country. >> jon: that's cool. going to be cool to see. >> sandra: they invited anybody with a pink cadillac. if you have a pink cadillac line up before the funeral in an effort to create a freeway of love in tribute. >> you got it, sandra, there you go. juan williams. thank you for joining us this morning. >> jon: more on that in just a moment. we're also awaiting the funeral services on capitol hill, the memorial for senator john mccain. he will be lying in state in the capitol rotunda, the people's portion of the capitol. we want to bring in adam kinzinger of illinois, a member of the house foreign affairs committee. john mccain had a huge influence on your career there, congressman. >> yeah, look, he was somebody

i deeply respected. what i loved about him is he could frustrate you in politics one day and you could think where is that coming from and the next day a fighter for a cause you believed in. as i got to know him, i got to know him very well. he was able to be independent and say there are too many people in politics that are just putting their finger to the wind and figuring out which way to vote to get reelected. he was somebody who had that country first attitude. he is somebody that was really hilarious, very self-deprecating. i remember one time we were in hungary and he jokingly introduced me to the delegation as henry kissinger's grandson and he was joking. they thought it was henry kissinger's grandson. that's indicative how john mccain was with his sense of humor. >> jon: he lost a lot of favor

when he gave the thumbs-down vote to the repeal of obamacare. how do you explain that and would you go along with that? >> there was -- he was very against obamacare. one of those things you get frustrated when he votes a certain way. looking back at the history of that. people like rand paul when you put out some of the prior iterations of the repeal were opposed to it. they said it didn't do enough. what it came down to in the senate was called skinny repeal. the senate just hoping to kick it back to conference with the house. i wanted it to pass so we could go to conference but that's what john mccain voted against. i think he would have voted for the other iterations of repeal. i was frustrated by that vote but i respected it. he did what he believed in and you could very much dislike his politics one day but he is still your pal and respects you the next day. >> sandra: we've been asking so many from his colleagues, his friends, how they will be

remembering john mccain. how do you think john mccain wants to be remembered? >> as i've gotten to know him i think he wants to be remembered as somebody who tried to do the best he could. lived for something bigger than himself. somebody that was flawed and well admitted. he talks about his mistakes in the past but always tried to do right. as i traveled with him around the world, i saw this guy was probably more famous than the vast majority of pop music stars in the united states. he wasn't famous for any reason except people saw him as a man that cared. look, he cared about the 500,000 dead folks in syria. he cared about america's role in china pushing back against russia and everywhere else. what i respect the most is i was part of the surge in iraq and this is the guy that was loudly claiming for a surge when everybody else was saying we need to get out of iraq and we won the war because of that. the subsequent pull-out where we lost a lot of ground. >> jon: we are watching the

motorcade as it heads to the capitol where senator mccain will lie in state in the u.s. capitol building. there is the mccain family entering the rotunda. only the 30th american -- person to lie in state in the u.s. capitol building. that's a very high honor indeed. i imagine you'll be among those paying your respects, congressman. >> he was a great man. >> sandra: and we saw the motorcade arriving on capitol hill. his casket will enter the capitol rotunda as we look at the pictures coming out of washington live this morning. we'll continue special coverage here on the fox news channel congressman. if i could ask you after this week of remembering john mccain as we will forever, washington begins anew and the u.s. senate will move forward in his absence and as you speak about his importance to u.s. foreign policy, what does congress look

like in john mccain's absence? >> well, i think it's very dysfunctional. we've gotten to a point where it's frustrating. we need to be partisans. we're elected as people that have a political belief. i'm a republican, a conservative and proud of it but i think we can respect each other in that debate. there is more respect that happens behind the scenes than people see. but the message we're sending to americans out of d.c. too much is thanksgiving dinner should be ruined because somebody doesn't agree with what you believe. ultimately political beliefs are important but not define the depths of you a person is. i don't expect it will change but i hope voices like john mccain's and others come forward to say let's have good fights and serious battles but let's respect each other as humans when it's all said and done. >> sandra: i wanted to mention who we just saw enter the room a short time ago, john mccain's

mother, roberta mccain. she was expected to attend. 106 years old john mccain's mothers as we watch members of congress and family. what a sight to see roberta mccain enter the room. >> jon: and henry kissinger is being wheeled in. who john mccain referred to as your grandfather. >> he always had a good sense of humor. people liked him whether they agreed with him or not. >> jon: joe lieberman there. kelly ayotte i see among those gathered. >> sandra: congressman, you are watching at the live pictures for us inside the capitol as john mccain's colleagues and family come forward to honor and remember him. what are you thinking as you look on at this?

>> well, you know, when i think of him i just -- i can think of his sense of humor. the other thing that really impressed me, i was -- i was among the youngest members of congress and i traveled with him. compared to john mccain i didn't have energy. he would be up super early in the morning and up late. then he is doing 30-minute meetings from people from different countries. i remember sitting in some of those meetings and having to chug coffee because i was getting exhausted at these conversations and he lived with it. it set him on fire. he loved it. he was passionate about it. you see that in his mother who is 24 years older than him and still alive. those genes that just keep people driving. it is really a special person. all somebody like me can seek to do is to live up to his legacy as much as possible but if i even reach 1/10 of the focus as he did or 1/20 when he did for his country, it will be

a life well lived. >> sandra: john mccain's motorcade arrived a short time ago there in washington after a very emotional ceremony yesterday, jon. >> jon: the camera caught warren beatty standing there, the actor and his wife annette bening. not somebody i would have imagined would have been in the front row or in the gathering for senator john mccain's memorial service there on capitol hill but there he is along with former pennsylvania governor tom ridge. he is also the first homeland security secretary. he is among those who have gathered. so it's an interesting mix, congressman, of people here to salute the senator and give him a final send-off ahead of his funeral tomorrow. >> that's right. interesting to see that. to see the people that spoke yesterday come from all backgrounds and again, you know there will be people that look back and say i didn't like john mccain's vote on this or what he said on that. i did like this and didn't like

that. that's what he wanted. he wanted to be known as somebody who was independent. he admits he made mistakes. but it is the kind of person i think we should all look at, maybe not politically. if you don't agree with him politically but as a person and say for this guy to have been to see shipmates die and get shot down in vietnam and be rescued for that. stayed five years if vietnam and be one of the first people to go during the lessening of bad tensions between vietnam and the united states. i think he was the first or among the first senators to go to vietnam and he told me once he goes i'm more famous in hanoi than i am in arizona. and people love me there. he didn't say that to brag. he said that to say this is how people that are former enemies can get along. >> jon: among those senators who advocated normalizations with vietnam even though he spent almost six years in a prison there. an account of his captivity carried in "u.s. news and world

report" in 1973. lucas tomlinson, a fellow annapolis graduate pointed it out to me. people can google it. >> sandra: thank you for your time this morning and sharing your goodbyes and memories of the late senator john mccain as washington prepares to say goodbye this morning looking live at capitol hill where we're awaiting a ceremony for an american hero. john mccain's casket due to arrive this hour at the capitol rotunda where he will lie in state. the 31st person to be honored in that way. vice president mike pence and other political leaders will deliver remarks this morning and we'll carry this coverage live right here on the fox news channel. keep it here.

>> sandra: admirers from all over the world will say goodbye to the queen of soul today, aretha franklin. let's go live now to laura engels who is live in detroit where the funeral is about to get underway. >> well indeed the stars, politicians, sports stars are all starting to arrive. you can see here behind me this is one of the main entrances to the greater grace temple here

and this church holds 4,000 people and as we reported to you last hour, there was a last-minute change last night when aretha franklin's family members said this was an invitation-only event but we want to open it up to the public allowing 1,000 members of the public to attend today's service. those who can't get in will be able to watch both streaming and also there will be a jumbotron set up at the end of the street here. as you mentioned, we've got a lot of heavy hitters here today in terms of politics, sports and entertainment. we understand former president bill clinton is already in the house at his seat. isaiah thomas, detroit pistons fame. shirley caesar. faith hill is here. this is being billed as a home going service. something that has been planned for months by her family when they heard that she was not

doing well. she did not, as we have reported in the past, aretha franklin did not leave a will nor instructions as to how she wanted this service to go. the group of people that have been surrounding her all of her life are calling themselves aretha's angels who have planned this service. it is expected to be over five hours long. many people taking not really bets but saying it will go much longer. you have 19 performers who will be on that stage filling this large temple with the beautiful sounds of their voice. we were in there, fox was allowed to be in there for the sound check yesterday and got to hear the sound check of faith hill. it was so incredible and so moving. so much more to come here today. the reverend jesse jackson is here and he will be speaking. and, of course, this is a ceremony fit for a queen. the queen of soul. outside here we showed you the pictures earlier the pink cadillacs, over 100 pink cadillacs driven by their owners from across the country. the call went out from the

bishop and his wife saying we want to honor the queen of soul and do a nod to the freeway of love. her 12th grammy. winning songs she wrote and sang, singing about pink cadillacs and lining them up here as police do at police funerals. a neat thing to do for her. that's what we're seeing here. the service is about to get underway. we'll bring you the latest as it comes to us here in detroit. >> sandra: laura, the family of aretha franklin making it clear if you arrive in one of the pink cadillacs, those in the vehicle get to attend the funeral. a really neat and beautiful ceremony starting to play out there. laura engel in detroit for us, an emotional farewell in d.c. awaiting the arrival of john mccain's motorcade on capitol hill where john mccain will lie in state. joining us now is jason chaffetz, juan williams, and

shelby holliday. from the "wall street journal." good morning as we say goodbye to john mccain this morning. jason chaffetz. your thoughts? >> an horror to serve in the congress when john mccain was senator. one of the most poignant things for me i got to see the hanoi hilton and see where he was incarcerated and kept. it is a very emotional thing when you go there and think of the americans serving their country that were captured. but to know john mccain and then to meet and see him later and think of what he went through will be a memory i always keep. >> sandra: you shared some sentiments earlier with us, juan. what is it like for you the look on in the capitol there? we saw his 106-year-old mother just arrived as well. >> this is a moment when you realize we have statesmen and sometimes it's hard in the ebb and flow of daily events in

politics when we're so polarized as a nation to say this is a historical moment and figure. someone who stands beyond his time. and when you think about john mccain's sacrifice as a military man, i mean, wow, it's towering, the idea you would stand for honor that i'm not going to leave being imprisoned and tortured unless you let me fellow servicemen go. i don't care who my dad was. i'm an american and i wear the stripes of this country with pride. that to me was astounding. he would then follow up with a term in the house and then i believe it was six terms in the u.s. senate. again, a singular voice, very conservative, by the way, but a man who was willing to talk, work with ted kennedy on healthcare if you'll recall, work with others on campaign finance reform, on education, immigration issues, a solid son

of arizona. that's what i'll remember about him. he stood apart and above in so many areas that i think history is going to acknowledge john mccain. >> jon: the catapult in the rotunda was first used to hold the casket of abraham lincoln. only 11 presidents and 4 private citizens given the honor to lie in the state in the u.s. capitol rotunda. >> we've heard from world leaders and politicians and joe biden said good things about john mccain. one of the things i've been struck by how moved younger people were by john mccain. i talked to people who worked on their campaign. they see younger candidates on both sides of the aisle emulate him. someone else said his humility

and acknowledgement that no one has all the answers is what inspired him most and one of my friends who is at the funeral today said he is the ultimate role model and put a call out to members of his generation saying it's now on us to put our country first and follow in john mccain's first step. we hear from all races and ages and political stripes. his impact on young people is more powerful than what we hear. >> jon: he was frustrating to some republicans on capitol hill. >> yes, he was. he was an orny person at times. you could never question his patriotism or love of country and dedication to the united states military. there were votes for instance the healthcare vote that happened in the senate, a lot of us were very frustrated. that is the nature of politics. the nature of the body is to have those vigorous debates. he was an individual. he is an american original and he was going to go his own direction but he would love to engage in the debate and i

think that's in part why so many people respected him. >> sandra: john mccain's motorcade as you saw live pictures is en route to the u.s. capitol. ceremony awaits him. a ceremony for an american hero as we watch his family and members of congress gather there. you wonder what the senate looks like going forward. obviously the governor of arizona has said he will wait until he is put to rest at annapolis, maryland, john mccain, before he decides who will sit in his seat, at least for the meantime. but it will look different, juan. >> it will be different. the senate is so closely divided. 51-49. doug ducey, the governor of arizona has a decision to make. there was some controversy whether he would consider putting cindy mccain, the senator's wife in that block. opposition from people who felt no, we want someone more reliably conservative.

you have a very heated race to replace him taking place right now in arizona. but even as you consider that and it has real consequences because there are votes that if you can -- jason chaffetz referred to the healthcare vote. if we get another vote who would switch john mccain's position can you undo something like obamacare in a way. there are so many other issues. john mccain, by the way, to many liberals and people on the democratic side of the aisle was very conservative. funny, you don't hear liberals say we doubted his conservativeism. he was a hawk on military issues and believed in america having a healing and positive influence in terms of nation building and global influence. and i think all of these things signal an oddity which is that democrats have sort of without question celebrated his life this week while there has been

contention on the right is he a trump guy, maybe not. who is john mccain for the right? >> sandra: here he is making his final trip to washington an emotional goodbye this will be. >> jon: the hearse carrying the body of john mccain is making its way to the capitol building. the 31st person to lie in state in the u.s. capitol rotunda. you got a sense of it from the funeral services yesterday that were held in phoenix, he ended with the frank sinatra song, my way. he planned that service. it says how he conducted himself in office. >> john mccain had the benefit of planning his entire goodbye. he spent months talking to people and thinking about the speakers, music, pal bearers. what we're seeing unfold this week is precisely what he wanted. it makes a number of statements and as we all know president

trump will not be at his funeral service but we will hear from vice president mike pence, speaker ryan, mitch mcconnell. you know, i think politically this comes at a really strange time in our country and juan touched on it. the race to replace him or the decision to replace him illustrates the deep divide between the trump side of the party and the mccain side of the party. someone i was speaking to earlier remembered a quote from john mccain on the campaign trail saying i'm a conservative but i rule as a centrist because i know i don't have all the answers. he has been able to reflect on his life over the past year. something we continue to hear from people. john mccain knew what he didn't know but strong in his convictions and beliefs and i think the funeral speaks volumes about who he was and how he wants to be remembered. >> sandra: john mccain's motorcade is arriving at the u.s. capitol. vice president mike pence we're told has also arrived at the capitol now and will be

speaking at the ceremony today honoring john mccain. in a few moments ago we saw members of his family entering the capitol, john mccain's 106-year-old mother was wheeled into the rotunda. to see your son lie in state the 31st person to receive that honor. there now former secretary of state henry kissinger. the motorcade arriving at the capitol. this will be a memorable ceremony for an american war hero. congressman jason chaffetz is with us. >> he is going past the senate office buildings where he has served for so long and then as he rolls across, that's the senate side, he rolled past first. i thought it was interesting they brought a number of the cars through the tunnel where dignitaries can go to the senate chambers but rolling past that and on the east side of the capitol where he will be taken out for the last time and brought up into the rotunda.

>> sandra: all right, john mccain and his family arrive at the capitol shortly. an emotional funeral service bidding farewell to the queen of soul, aretha franklin, continuing in detroit as we move to another memorial on capitol hill for senator john mccain who will lie in state in the capitol rotunda. you are looking live at the east front of the capitol building. welcome to fox news channel coverage of the remembrance of senator john mccain. i'm martha maccallum. >> i'm bret baier. it is washington's turn to say goodbye. >> congressional lawmakers along with invited family, friends, guests will assemble. >> mike pence, house speaker

paul ryan, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell with speak as family members go up the east side of the capitol as the casket will be received by the sergeant of arms of the senate and house. let's begin our coverage with mike emanuel. >> mike is standing by outside the capitol this morning. good morning, mike. >> martha and bret, good morning to you. we've been out here for hours watching dignitaries come to the capitol for this solemn d.c. goodbye to senator john mccain. he served on capitol hill for 30 plus years in the senate. a few more years in the house. we've seen house lawmakers, senators filing in. members of president trump's cabinet as well and we got some service members in dress uniform behind me right now waiting to escort the casket of senator mccain into the capitol. it should be a very powerful moment here as washington, d.c. and the rest of the nation gets to say goodbye after his home state did. we expect very touching moments

inside. out here very, very quiet as people are quite respectful awaiting the casket to be brought out of the hearse and up the steps of the capitol on the east front and the prayers and remembrance and tributes to senator mccain to take place. there you can see some u.s. service members in dress uniform waiting to escort senator mccain. a whole range of vehicles out here that have brought dignitaries in. current members of congress, former members of congress who served with senator mccain over 30 plus years and bottom line it should be a very touching moment as we hear some speeches from his former colleagues, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell who said the united states senate will never be the same without john mccain and talked about ways if recent days there will be a permanent tribute to senator mccain. it should be a touching moment as we hear speeches and see wreath layings from some

dignitaries and the american public will have a chance to file into the capitol rotunda later to pay their respects. bret and martha. >> let's bring in our panel. chris wallace, a.b. stoddard and byron york. chris, there are so many services as we move our way through these remembrances of john mccain over these days. this today this morning focuses on his time in the senate and in congress which was a huge part of his life. >> that's right. he was elected to the house in 1982 and from then what, 36 years served in either the house or the senate. elected six times to the u.s. senate. you know, it strikes me just as a kind of bittersweet occasion. let me explain. sweet in the sense that this is a man he called himself the most lucky man on earth. he had a wonderful life. he enjoyed his friends. i save ored his enemies, too.

he said a fight not joined is a fight not enjoyed but on the other hand it seems to me it's bitter in the sense that so many of the values that john mccain embodyed are absent from congress. you'll hear speeches today about honoring john mccain. he was about a very different kind of washington and very different kind of capitol. it was about legislating. whether you agreed with it or not, he was involved in campaign finance reform, immigration reform, healthcare reform. changing the rules about enhanced interrogation, setting up the gang of 14 to stop filibusters. it was all about trying to get something done. that doesn't go on in capitol hill anymore. he talked in his final words about tribes. we have the democratic liberal tribe, the republican conservative tribe. they don't do business with each other. for all the talk about what john mccain represents, all the praise you will hear today, what i think would mean a lot

more to him than the honors and potentially naming a senate office building after him would be if they went to back to regular order but legislating, working across the aisle to get things done. that's what john mccain was really all about. >> senator ben sasse said instead of naming a building after him democrats and republicans should both do something they're uncomfortable with in congress and get something done together. 166 years, the 31st person to lie in state. the last the senator from hawaii. you covered john mccain. this is a tribute that almost looks like a presidential tribute. house members and senate members, joint chiefs are all there. talk about this moment historically and your covering him. >> well, it is remarkable, i agree with everything chris said. he would like people to reach

across the aisle. memories of his visiting udall in a veterans home long after the democrat didn't know what was going on. john mccain went regularly to read and visit to him. his friendships with kerry, kennedy, kaouns. feingold, always finding a democrat to help solve problems. what i want people to know if you only know john mccain's life through television and twitter and his political career you don't really appreciate just how much service was so gratifying to him. that he wanted us to know the higher calling he always talked about as something so incredibly fulfilling. that's why today you have john bainor coming back and all the people who worked with him in congress coming back to honor their time and service to them and how much he loved the body. but they also know that there

are people all around the world from myanmar to russia to north korea to -- all these different places, syria, dissidents around the world who were depending on john mccain's mission for their freedom and are grateful to him. those members at the rotunda know and appreciate that. he was always looking out for freedom around the world in ways view legislators do. >> members of each service will take the casket up the east front of the capitol and again met by the house and senate sergeant of arms. let's listen in for a second.

>> you can see it started to rain here in the nation's capital.

>> an august rain is falling on this part of the proceedings as they bring the casket carrying the body of senator john mccain up these steps. as a.b. was saying, byron, this body of the senate that he admired so much and the speech that was his final speech before he voted against the repeal of obamacare, he spoke -- he admonished the senate really. he said we're getting nothing done, my friends, we're getting nothing done. he didn't use that opportunity just to thank them for all of their support and the camaraderie over the years but he wanted the leave a strong message. >> he did. what he was talking about was very real because partisanship has increased in both the house and the senate. the number of senators who have perfect ratings from one side or the other has increased. what really strikes me about

this to build on something bret said is how presidential this seems. this is a five-day funeral and we saw a couple of days in arizona and then we have coverage of the plane and the car and now taking senator mccain's body into the capitol. this is very much treatment you would see for a president. there will be a big memorial service tomorrow at the national cathedral and buried at the naval academy on sunday. has not been accorded to a lot of members of congress. i counted three in the past 50 years. claude pepper and everett dirkson in the 1960s. not something that's done very often. >> two-time presidential candidate. i saw the tribute on "fox news sunday". you've interviewed him a lot of times over the years. your thoughts looking back and some of the funny moments.

he was a really -- he could really needle you in interviews. >> absolutely. you know, we used to get all of the sunday talk show hosts why does everybody put on john mccain so often? if you wanted oh cover the news more often than not it involved john mccain. a fight over filibusters. he started the gang of 14. immigration, same kind of deal. not to mention the fact he ran for president in 2000 and 2008. i remember -- i used to i guess as is my custom give him a tough interview. i have a guest book and have all my guests sign it. and he would -- there is john kelly, the white house chief of staff. and he would always sign and say this is my favorite interrogation since i was in the hanoi hilton. having said that. he did get mad sometimes if he felt you had pushed too far.

but you were in the dog house but not permanently. you were in the dog house for a while and he would get over it and understood our role. he liked answering questions and liked the give and take. a battle not joined is a battle not enjoyed, as i said before. >> he also said in the speech i referred to before, i have sometimes let my passion rule my reason, made it harder to find common ground because of something harsh that i said to a colleague. a.b., as we've said this morning, the back and forth with the people who are gathered in this room right now in the capitol rotunda is what he relished and he really felt strongly the procedures of the senate had been overrun. there was a relationship between leadership and administration over the past several years that had left them out of the process. >> he remembers a time that we're all old enough at this table to remember. a lot of people are not.

when congress really protected its status as a separate and co-equal branch. you had someone like robert byrd who fought more with the president of his own party because he was protecting his role as a senator and the body of the u.s. senate and their role in governance. now senators believe they're working -- if the president of their party, that they're working for the leader of their party. it is all a tribal team game. and john mccain remembers that time when it was about weighing in as a separate co-equal and valuable branch. >> as we wait the family and friends filing into the rotunda. let's get more on his life. bill bennett joins us from north carolina. bill, you heard us talking on the panel reflections of senator mccain as you look at some of his senate and house colleagues there getting ready

for this ceremony. your thoughts. >> he was a friend. we spent a lot of time together. we went to sporting events together. i remember going to boxing matches in las vegas, god forbid, with john mccain and harry reid. i didn't sit for those pictures but part of what john mccain did. agree with chris about him being at the center of things. the great sense of humor. only john mccain could tell a joke that talked about his vietnam years with that memory and that humor. when he was asked about woodstock, remember, what is your opinion of woodstock? he said i don't recall much about it. i was tied up at the time. indeed he was literally. but i will tell you a little bit. i love john mccain, a wonderful guy. bipartisanship in itself for which he is being exalted this week seems to me is not a good in itself. bipartisanship is good if it's a good bill.

some of the things chris cited were bad ideas. the gang of eight immigration bill, no good. no child left behind. something i know a lot about, no go. but it's fine. he wants to work across the aisle, that's okay. but what i don't see emphasized this week is john mccain the conservative, the warrior. the guy who was always for military funding, always for projecting american power overseas, the guy who never gave up on the iraq war. supported it all the way. i think we need a little more balance on that. there was a real conservative john mccain in that person. >> a lot of that came out during the 2008 campaign and some of the media really hammered him for some of those things. >> absolutely. but i think now you are seeing the emphasis the other way. i think the family is wanting it that way, too.

no invitation to sarah palin or the president. they are whiting out a lot of john mccain's experience in life. >> he was very committed at that point to fiscal conservatism as well and fought to have the money allocated for the emergency fund for hurricane katrina to be paid for in spending cuts, which is a novel idea you don't hear too much about anymore. he was very committed to play. rod rosenstein and others are gathered here. i want to play one of the sound bites from that last speech which was such a significant moment just to give everybody a moment to watch a little bit of this. >> i had another long, if not as long career before i arrived here. another profession that was profoundly rewarding and in which i had experiences and friendships that i revere. but make no mistake, my service here is the most important job

i've had in my life. >> back to bill bennett. there is roberta mccain, 106 years old. john mccain's mother. an amazing woman in her own right. the person from whom a lot of people believe he got his maverick spirit, bill. >> absolutely. he is a tough guy and an independent guy. had those stories out of his vietnam. his reverence for bud day. one of my favorite stories. he was very hard on himself, which he shouldn't have been. he said i gave them too much. he gave a pseudoconfession of error but it was punctuated with a lot of winks and nods. when they asked him the names of other officers bombing north vietnam and hanoi sure, i'll give them to you, forest greg, jerry kramer, you know who they are? somebody there does. packers offensive line. >> offensive line of the green

bay packers. can i say one thing, bill? you say they're whiting out some of his career and it is interesting there are some people notably who haven't been invited like sarah palin, like donald trump, like some members of the 2008 campaign like nicole wallace and steve schmitt and john weaver. it strikes me they aren't doing anything. that was john mccain. nobody told them to take those people out. john mccain planned his funeral and it is interesting that he didn't want them here. >> i think this is how he is choosing to be remembered and that's his choice, that's his decision. but all i'm saying is a man big enough to be a hero to an age is big enough to have the truth told about him. the truth is complicated when it comes to john mccain both in his personal life and professional life. as a soldier, as a hero, everything that's happened this week is merited. >> as we look we'll listen in.

the body being placed on the catapult there. the wooden platform used for abraham lincoln's funeral. let's listen.

>> they stand vigil over the casket. the funeral service now officially begins with the invocation by the chaplain of the u.s. house of representatives. >> let us pray. we give you thanks, almighty god, for the appearance among us of great men and women who serve as inspirations for all americans to be their best in service to god, country, and neighbor. this day we honor a true american hero, senator john mccain.

he dedicated his entire life to public service as a vocation. first in the military, and then in elected office. he placed himself directly in harm's way during the vietnam war and his great sacrifice of personal freedom is well-known. as a senator, he served with honesty and integrity working both with those with whom he agreed and many with whom he did not. his willingness to speak the truth as he understood it, even when it was not politically expedient to do so proved to be a rare phenomenon. for that reason, it was all the more precious. as we continue this celebration of honor, grant that all who

attend to these proceedings might transcend smallness and limitation and emerge as people desirous of being our best selfs in service to all our brothers and sisters as you might call each of us to be. dear lord, thank you for inspiring such greatness in senator john mccain, and continue to bless the united states of america, amen. >> mr. vice president, mr.

speaker, colleagues, distinguished guests, and the mccain family, it's an honor to welcome you this morning. we gather to recognize a great loss and celebrate a great life. we celebrate six decades of devotion to the american idea and the cause of human freedom. generations of americans will continue to marvel at the man who lies before us. the cocky, handsome, naval aviator who barely scraped through school and then fought for freedom in the skies. who witnessed to our highest values even through terrible torture and who became a generational leader in the united states senate where our nation airs its great debates.

now airing our great debates is a gentle way to describe how john approached the work of a senator. i've long joked his guard at the hanoi hilton probably needed group therapy when john was finished with him. there were times when some of his senate colleagues were tempted to form a support group of our own. he treated every issue with the intensity the people's business deserve. he would fight tooth and nail for his vision of the common good, depending on the issue, you knew john would either be your staunchest ally or your most stubborn opponent. at any moment he might be preparing an eloquent reflection on human liberty or a devastating joke served up with his signature cackle and

that john mccain glint in his eye. he had america's fighting spirit, our noble idealism, our solemn patriotism, and our slightly irreverent streak all rolled into one. i will miss a dear friend whose smile reminded us that service is a privilege and whose scars reminded us of the great cost that brave souls pay for our freedom. john felt like family, but, of course, it is cindy and roberta, and joe, and doug, andy, sidney, meghan, jack and bridget who can truly call this man their own. on behalf of the senate and the entire nation, thank you. thank you for lending him to us

longer than we had a right. thank you for supporting him while he supported us. half a world away wearing our nation's uniform john mccain stood up for every value that this capitol building represents. then he brought that same patriotism inside its walls to advocate for our service members, our veterans, and our moral leadership in the world. so it is only right that today, near the end of his long journey, john lies here in this great hall under this mighty dome, like other american heroes before him. here as a restless wave approaches the shores of

eternity, we thank god for giving this country john mccain. >> on behalf of a grateful nation and on behalf of congress, i want to begin by giving thanks to the mccain family, for your many years of service to our country. we share your anguish in losing this great man. rarely does this glorious rotunda fall silent at this hour. on a day like this, john would usually be bounding this way or that way right through here, visitors turning to each other asking if that's who they think it is.

but in this quiet hour, we are left to ponder how his life speaks to us. john mccain deserves to be remembered as he wished to be remembered, a patriot who served his country, a man yes of the senate but also a man of the house, a navy man, a family man, a man who made an enormous difference in the lives of countless people. a man of conviction. a man of state. there is a line from his farewell statement that really just grabbed me. our identities and sense of

worth are not circumscribed but enlarged by serving causes bigger than ourselves. that's john mccain. how fitting and how true. what stands out about john mccain is what he stood for. the rich blessings that only freedom can bestow. the sense of purpose that a battle joined can bring. the common humanity that burns in each of our hearts. hemingway once wrote, the world breaks everyone and afterward, many are strong at the broken places. no one -- no one was stronger at the broken places than john mccain. the brokenness was his ballast. he never lost the joy that time

can dull or the edge that political life so often sands away. i myself from time to time found myself on the receiving end of john's distinct brand of candor. happily so. i remember thinking more than once yeah, he really does talk like a sailor. but you see, with john, it was never feigned disagreement. the man didn't feign anything, he just relished the fight. he showed us that in the arena, the honest back and forth, that's where the cause gets bigger. that's where the triumph is all the sweeter. we get stronger at the broken places. though the highest office

alluded him, he attained what is far more enduring, the abiding affection of his fellow citizens. and an example for future generations. so i think ahead now. i think ahead to the day when i, like so many, will bring my own children and perhaps their children to that hallowed lawn in annapolis. i think about that. i think about what i might say to them. this is one of the bravest souls our nation has ever produced. however you choose to do your part, i hope you do it the way he did, with energy and urgency, playing for keeps,

never back on your heels, never letting principle yield to expedience. resisting the false allure of the fleeting and battening down the hatches when things get rough and always, always having a really good story to tell. today our nation bows in grief, but here, under the work of -- in the gaze of the greats, where soldiers known and unknown have laid before, we have this beautiful thing, a chance to do for this man what he did for us, to stand up, to stand up and to embrace the cause of his life. no one of us can fulfill this charge, but all of us sure can try.

because all of this -- all of this is worth fighting for. god bless john mccain, and god bless the country he so dearly loved. >> leader mcconnell, speaker ryan, leader schumer, leader

pelosi, distinguished members of congress, members of the cabinet, members of our armed forces and honored guests, and most of all, to the mccain family, to cindy, his children, and mrs. roberta mccain. it is deeply humbling to stand before you today at the united states capitol to commemorate the life and service of an american patriot, senator john mccain. the president asked me to be here on behalf of a grateful nation to pay a debt of honor and respect to a man who served our country throughout his life

in uniform and in public office. and it is my great honor to be here. in the long history of our nation, only 30 americans have lane in state here in the united states capitol rotunda. today, as a reflection of the esteem in which his colleagues and our country hold him, senator john mccain joins those ranks. the son and the grandson of four star admirals. john came from a family that prized military service. he entered the united states naval academy when he was just 17 years old. his service as a naval aviator took him around the world and eventually to the war in vietnam. it was there on his 23rd bombing run that john was shot down and captured. refusing early release for the

sake of his comrades, he endured 5 1/2 years of confinement and torture. then, as now, americans marveled at the iron will of john mccain. but captivity did not diminish john's sense of calling, or his commitment to mission. as he would later say, i fell in love with my country when i was a prisoner in someone else's. and after he made it home, john traded service in the uniform of the united states for service in congress, exchanging the rank of captain for congressman and later senator. for 35 years, john served in these very halls under this

very dome. and he fought for what he believed in. in my years in congress, and as vice president, we didn't always agree, either. and he almost always noticed. but his support for limited government, for tax reform, and support for our armed forces surely left our nation more prosperous and more secure and he will be missed. as president trump said yesterday, we respect his service to the country. like many of you gathered here, i also had the privilege of traveling with senator mccain to visit our troops overseas. earlier this week i told cindy of a time on a trip through iraq, after another 18-hour day, when i was literally

falling asleep in the middle of a dinner with iraqi officials. after the dinner, john, who was more than 20 years older than me, walked up, put his hand on my shoulder and said mike, we've got a few more meetings tonight, but why don't you turn in. you look like you could use some rest. [laughter] thanks, john. honestly, seeing him down range i never traveled with a colleague who was better to our enlisted, or harder on our generals. john mccain loved the men and women who served in the uniform of the united states and she -- he was a champion of our armed forces throughout his career. in every generation, there are

those who put country first. who prize service ahead of self. who summon idealism from a cynical age. john mccain was such a man. today he lies in the place where he served to the last, the congress of the united states. soon he will go to rest on the grounds where he served first, the united states naval academy. the eyes of the american people will be upon him as he goes. and so, too, will their prayers for him, and especially for his beloved family, gathered here today. and we will pray that those who mourn shall be comforted.

so we mourn with those who mourn and we grieve with those who grieve but we do not grieve like those who have no hope. because john mccain, like millions of americans, held firm to that hope from an old hymn that became the title of a book he wrote some 20 years ago, "faith of our fathers." the full stanza of that hymn reads, faith of our fathers, living still, in spite of dungeon, fire and sword. o how our hearts beat high with joy when err we hear that glorious word. john mccain held firm to that faith, the faith of his fathers, through dungeons, fire

and sword. and he held fast to his faith in america through six decades of service. begather here today to honor an american patriot who served a cause greater than himself, and we gather here remembering a man who knew how he wanted to be remembered, and so let me say to all those gathered and his beloved family, on behalf of a grateful nation, we will ever remember that john mccain served his country and john mccain served his country honorably. may god bless the memory of john mccain. may god comfort his family and friends. and may god continue to bless the united states of america.

>> let us bow our heads for the benediction. eternal lord god who has made of one blood all the people of the earth, we give thanks for the consequential life of senator john mccain, a drum major for courage, truth, and justice. accept our gratitude for his commitment to make decisions based upon principles, for his pragmatic leadership during turbulent times, and for his

life of exemplary and heroic service. lord, we are grateful for his efforts to do what was in the country's best interest and for providing inspiration that kept our nation strong. we praise you for permitting senator mccain to remind us that we are tied to a single garment of destiny, needing one another to fulfill your purposes for our lives. may the life of this american patriot inspire us to see you more clearly, to love you more dearly, and to follow you more

nearly each day. now unto him who is able to keep us without stumbling or slipping, and to present us before the presence of his glory with unspeakable delight, we ascibe, glory, majesty, might, dominion and power now and always. we pray in the name of senator mccain's redeemer, jesus christ, amen.

>> fascinating watching all the family members as we walk up. we heard the words of senator mcconnell speaking, paul ryan spoke quite eloquently talking about no one was stronger at the broken places than john mccain, citing earnest hemingway. we heard from vice president pence as well saying the president had asked him to be there and the president respected the service of john mccain. he is the most absence person today in this collection of the leadership of the country we gathered today. >> emotional to see the family again saying goodbye as we saw them in the arizona state capitol. this time with these wreaths it

is not standard protocol to do it that way. senator mccain wanted it this way. to have the leadership of the senate, both sides, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell and chuck schumer, the speaker of the house and minority leader lay these wreaths around the casket as well as a wreath from the executive branch. emotional and there you see henry kissinger former secretary of state, a friend of john mccain's, saying goodbye. this will continue for a long time as not only people inside this capitol rotunda now, house, senate members, friends, family, long-time staff members, there are more than 100 that met the casket and

joint base andrews last night. as we said on your show last night, martha, the staff members said they really never left john mccain if they were ever on anything, a campaign, a staff, he always kind of kept in touch with them. >> a very tight-knit group. john mccain was very involved in the guest list and gathering the people he wanted to have here. i think very touching to see his children gathered there today once again and he really does -- young john mccain fourth in his white navy uniform looking like a young john mccain when you look back at the pictures of him in his flight gear. he is known as jack and jimmy, the two sons of cindy and john mccain and meghan and bridget mccain, their children. the first part of the family the sons of his first wife and who he adopted quickly after

they were married and they had sidney. their daughter you saw walking up there. interesting that andy mccain, the adopted son from his first marriage is now one of the top executives at hencely at the beer distributing company that cindy's family built in arizona. they are a very tight knit clan and we have seen them moving through the ceremonies taking it all in. >> it was emotional to see robert a mccain as she wheeled up in the wheelchair acknowledge her son. imagine that, 106 years old saying goodbye to your son of 82. let's bring back our panel. chris, your thoughts on this ceremony. >> a couple of things, you talked about several of the people who talked. the one that struck me the most was barry black, the chaplain of the senate who called john mccain a drum major for courage, truth and justice. what a beautiful line.

and i have to say it really touched my heart to see mccain's mom. he was 81. she is 160, being wheeled up to say goodbye to her son. something that i'm sure she hoped she would never live to see, to see her son to be -- i was trying to think back. it was 14 years ago, i had dinner with her, 92 at the time. a very spry and active 92. mccain held an event in new york during the george w. bush's reelection convention in new york in 2004 and he invited all of the top media people there and a lot of people used to joke he really should be called john mccain r-media. and some people were seated with mccain, some people were

seated with cindy, some people and my wife and i were fortunate enough to be seated right next to roberta mccain. she was just wonderful. she was funny, spry, as any mom would be sort of surprised that her son had become such a great success and she told very funny stories about him and the idea that she is still here at 106. i remember talking about a year ago to meghan mccain and she said her grandmother, john's mom, still had her complete faculties and was very sharp and it was very stirring and frankly quite touching and moving to see her today in the process of honoring and celebrating and eventually burying her son. >> there are great stories about her, about how she was going on a cross-country trip and tried to rent a car and said she was too old so she

bought a car and called her son from somewhere and told him this and he was astonished. she also eloped in tijuana with john's father and loved her life, they moved all the time together and you see that naval tradition. kelly ayotte, a close friend of john mccain. >> i ran a clip in 2008 with john mccain and his mom had been on c-span. how will he win over conservatives? she said they'll have to hold their nose and she held her nose. they'll have to hold their nose and vote for him. i played that for mccain, who was half delighted and half kind of like oh mom, you've done it to me again. >> we looked at warren beatty and annette bening there. one of the pall bearers tomorrow. he had a lot of friends people

didn't know about. larry fitzgerald from the arizona cardinals who gave a stirring, emotional eulogy yesterday in arizona. >> that was nicely done. i really enjoyed the interview the night before that he did talking about this just unlikely friendship that blossomed. mike is a friend of mine and regaild me with stories of their four-hour flights from washington to phoenix and how he never heard a word of political gossip from john mccain. it was four hours of sports. he was a fanatic about his arizona teams and he had, you know, we should point out as some people have this week he will also be having a democratic senator from rhode island will be a paul bearer and the russian dissident who survived two poisonings at the hands of vladimir putin. he will be a pall bearer as well tomorrow. some surprises along the way as

this five-day celebration unfolds. he had many, many sides to him but delighted in people. he absolutely loved people. he met them here, there and everywhere. what larry fitzgerald was describing was getting off a plane and seeing the way that strangers would approach john mccain and he would spend so much time with them. whatever pictures they wanted or stories they wanted to hear, he delighted in it. i think that -- i loved what you mentioned about the wreaths. he wanted nancy pelosi and paul ryan to approach the casket together and he wanted chuck schumer and mitch mcconnell to approach the casket together. it is not about hearing from mr. bennett earlier, it is about the fact you never can solve a problem unless you start with bipartisanship. tomorrow at the cathedral we'll hear from the two men who defeated john mccain for president. george w. bush and barack obama. the message he is trying to send we're americans first and

that's the single message he wants everyone to take away at the end of this week. >> you heard in a lot of references in this service to mccain's intensity. whatever he was saying whether he was making a joke or yelling at you or whatever, there was this intensity. i think he hasn't spoken enough. he was incredibly ambitious. we talked about his time in the senate and house. he really wanted to be president. in 2007 i remember his campaign. he wanted the run a big, rich, corporate kind of campaign that george w. bush had used to defeat him eight years earlier but it went bad. his campaign went broke, almost imploded. so we were out in person iowa staying in a really budget hotel, smell of manure was rather strong everywhere. the bus breaks down. the straight talk express breaks down. they scramble and rent a small van to go around in and he is in excellent spirits the whole time. with bud day, the former p.o.w.

who was very, very close to him. but this is a 71-year-old man, very wealthy, secure, his place in history secure, his place everywhere secure and he was slogging through this thing. it paid off. he won the nomination, but the intensity and the fire inside him was really strong. >> tom ridge, a former pennsylvania governor and homeland security secretary saying goodbye there. bill bennett is still with us. your thoughts of the ceremony and what we're seeing here. >> very beautiful. i'm reminded for a state function how important faith and religion is to us still as a people. it's worth considering. i will say again when mike pence and karen approached, i wish the president had been invited. the president relented. i wish john mccain had or the family and invited the president. if you want this unification then the president of the united states should be there,

whatever the fight that went on between them. i would like to quickly tell a story. by the way, i think it may turn out that it's not so much friendship with warren beatty is a big fan of the movies. he loved "bonnie and clyde." john mccain told me he bought my book of virtues and read it to every one of his children and that his favorite story, i think appropriate for now, is the selfish giant. a giant lives in a garden and a little boy appears and the giant welcomes when iminto the garden. when the little boy comes the giant says i must leave now and the little boy looks at him and says you have another place to go. and the giant notices on the little boy holes in his hands and his feet and says who did this to you? i will hurt them, i will destroy them. i will kill them. and the little boy says no, don't. these holes in my hands and my

feet come from love, the love of man. and you will come to my garden today as you are growing old in paradise and i invite you to it. i'm just thinking that's what john mccain told me it was his favorite story in the book and read it to every single child of his and that meant the world to me. >> thank you, bill. as you look at former and current executive mem -- members of the executive branch you see the attorney general there, white house chief of staff, john kelly and others also paying their respects and walking by. there you see senator orrin hatch, one of the lions in the senate as well and senator dick durbin at his side. pat leahy next to him. >> for those watching this with us on stations across the country we'll continue the analysis throughout the morning and into the evening and tomorrow back here as well on

fox news channel and on cable and satellite. more later on your local news on this fox station. i'm martha maccallum. >> i'm bret baier, thanks for watching fox news in washington >> peter doocy outside the capitol right now for a look from that vantage point as we get ready to get the rotunda open to the public. >> members of the public are queuing up on first street and they have some barricades set up. there are people from all over the place and we were actually just talking to bob large here from new jersey. bob, why did you make the trip? >> to honor this hero and patriot. a life of service. i was on board the same ship as senator mccain a few years after he was on and when i got

aboard ship the first thing they did is showed us the films of the fire that took place and the bravery exhibited by all the sailors on that ship. senator mccain has the reputation on the ship even now, a patriot, a maverick. i'm here today just to represent myself, my dad who was also a prisoner of war in world war ii. he was captured after he made the normandy invasion and spent 13 months in a prison camp. if he was alive today he would be here with me. >> thank you for talking to us, bob. phil, as you can see the line remains, nobody moved despite a torrential downpour that happened for most of the first half of the ceremony. if we come to the front of the line it is very interesting, some of these guys -- excuse me -- front of the line right here, your name, sir? >> greg. >> what time did you get here this morning? >> just before 8:00. >> you have a photo. tell me about the photo.

>> john mccain was running for president in 2008 and i met him in jacksonville, florida a half dozen times. >> why did you want to bring it today? >> i'm a veteran and i just thank senator mccain for his military service for america. i appreciate his politics. i'm here for the military side. i was at the tarmac at andrews last night and it was an emotional, awesome time to see an american hero come off that plane. it was john mccain and it was an honor to be there and something i will tell my grandkids and great grandkids about. >> thank you for sharing your story. as you can see people started getting here around dawn even though they can't get in until around 1:00 early this afternoon but they're waiting for quietly sharing stories about john mccain with each other and with us. there are a couple hundred people on this side of the street and then there is also room for many, many room.

we understand they'll let people continue cycling in line until 8:00 and then even if they are ready to close the rotunda they will let anybody here in line still go in to pay their respects. >> thanks, cooled things down with the rain a little bit. better than arizona where it was really hot. some of those people in line waiting for hours. the family went out and thanked them for being in the heat to say their final goodbyes. >> interesting the man saying he served on the same ship as john mccain, the u.s.s. forrestal carrier. 130 people died on that carrier and john mccain did not. he made it through that horrific accident and he really made it through a number of very difficult moments in his life when he was shot down over hanoi into the lake in the

middle of hanoi. they thought he wouldn't survive the night. >> he was a huge believer in luck. actually, his grandfather was, too, on board ship in world war ii. he had a lucky hat and it would fly off his head and the crew would grab it so it wouldn't go overboard. all these terrible things happened to mccain and they didn't kill him which was huge. the fire was unbelievable. a missile struck mccain's plane. there is video of mccain climbing out on the refueling probe of the airplane and jumping onto the deck which was on fire. he makes that and then shortly after that he volunteers to go to another aircraft carrier, and the next month he is shot down. this was just an incredible series of events. but he came out of it all very

-- believing a lot in luck. >> many stories when they were on an airplane when it grew turbulent he would say if you're flying with mccain no one dies. he knew he would not go in a plane wreck. i wanted to read something from jack, who tweeted a beautiful photo of his dad's naval leather jacket this week on the day that senator died. he wrote on saturday night it's not the man that was great but instead it was his desire to serve a cause greater than himself that defined his life. to me he was a giant. to him he was an imperfect servant of the nation he loved deeply. his family continues and dearest friends emphasize that john mccain was the first one to point out his faults and flaws but so idealistic about one thing and that was the

country. >> darrell issa and martha mcsally, the congresswoman from arizona who has now won the republican primary to fill the seat of retiring jeff flake. this is an emotional remembrance but politics are involved, chris. now you have a decision by arizona governor doug ducey to fill this seat with someone from arizona. how he chooses or who he chooses will make a difference as some important votes including the brett kavanaugh decision are pending. >> that's right. he has kind of a balancing act. on the one hand he clearly there is a very active trump base among republicans in arizona, as there is a very active trump base among republicans everywhere and he wants to give them someone that they will be satisfied with. but i think he also feels keenly that he wants to appoint somebody who the mccain family -- not that it's their seat, but that they will be at least

satisfied with or not dissatisfied with. that could be a little bit hard to square those two. and interestingly enough according to one report, mccain had said that he would like to be replaced by a hispanic woman. i'm not sure that is going to happen. i'm not sure how many prominent hispanic women there are in the republican party in arizona. it gives you an indication that the governor has to do while he is running for reelection in november. he will have to appoint somebody promptly that will restore -- because of course while john mccain has remained a senator he has been absent since last december. so the republican majority has been a bare majority of 50 votes to 49 republicans and john mccain missing not taking a single vote all year. this will restore a two-vote majority for republicans and you would assume that ducey

won't do it until john mccain is buried on somebody but early next week you would believe he will name somebody. >> some reporting he will talk to the family and cindy mccain in particular and say i need you to sign off on this choice, whoever it is. >> you know, the other area that you'll see a lot of change is on these committees. he was the very strong chairman of the senate armed services committee and the next logical person in line is james inhoff. then you look at the other senate foreign service committee, which is likely to -- bob corker's leadership role likely to go to bill frish. both men strong trump supporters. when you look at the legacy left behind in his committee work, a.b. the face of that is likely to change. >> yeah, the republican party is no longer the party of ronald reagan and john mccain and it's the party of donald trump.

so there is a recognition not only in what will change in the senate but in arizona and nationwide that we are trending towards things that he spoke out against, isolationism, protectionism, nativeism. it's a very strong division but one that has been definitely overwhelmed by the trump -- the power of the trump agenda and the trump presidency. and this will be very interesting part of the governor ducey's challenge. there will be criticism from either side no matter what he does. >> arizona has been a real battleground for that. they'll have two new senators very soon. trump didn't win arizona by a lot. a little less than four points. but jeff flake's tremendously negative reaction to almost emotional reaction to the president has kind of defined his political career. obviously mccain had a much

longer legacy. if you go back and look at mccain's reaction to donald trump, there was kind of an escalating series of pot shots they were taking at each other until donald trump finally went nuclear in june of 2015 in iowa when he said that mccain was a hero because he was shot down and he likes people who were not shot down and things were terrible ever after that. but the fact is trump is now president, the republicans in arizona are going to want, i think, a senator who basically goes along with the trump agenda. >> do we have the other sound bite of john mccain in that speech? he speaks specifically to what we're talking about here if we could get a listen to that.

>> our deliberations can still be important and useful but i think we would all agree they haven't been overburdened by greatness lately. and right now, they aren't producing much for the american people. both sides have let this happen. let's leave the history of who shot first -- i suspect they will find we all conspired in our decline either by deliberate actions or neglect. we've all played some role in it. certainly i have. sometimes i've let my passion rule my reason. sometimes i made it harder to find common ground because of something harsh i said to a colleague. sometimes i wanted to win more for the sake of winning than to achieve a contested policy. >> clearly sending a message today chris wallace, the joint laying of the wreaths. it doesn't look like his dream of unifying the senate or unifying what's happening on capitol hill is any closer to

reality certainly at this point. >> no. and it certainly i have to say that i was struck -- i didn't realize this was specifically john mccain's request but struck by seeing schumer and mcconnell, the two senate leaders, republican and democrat and pelosi and ryan coming up behind the wreaths. what was so striking, there was a time when that would have seemed very much a matter of course. but to see the two leaders of the parties in the senate and in the house stepping up together in concert both of them solemn, both the same mood rather than taking shots or elbowing each other is a rarity today. and that's the sad part of this is that that is what our politics has devolved to. i know earlier bill bennett said some of the compromises he went for were bad compromises. is it any better to achieve

nothing because it seems so often now that the major problems of the country whether immigration, or entitlement reform or deficit, nothing gets done. i'm not blaming republicans or democrats, it's just the total dysfunction, the total to use a word that john mccain used tribalism of our politics today that is so dispiriting. >> what i will say one of the reasons president trump one is because people were sick of both parties and said kick the table over and try something different. it's just an interesting time if you think about it. what you are talking about will be visible tomorrow at the service at the national cathedral and you have a former president obama and former president george w. bush delivering eulogies back-to-back, two men who beat john mccain in the presidential contest. mike emanuel is right outside and has some thoughts. mike, you covered this guy. your thoughts on this day. >> some of what was striking to

me was the comments in some of those speeches played off themes i've been hearing all week. one that if john mccain was on your side on a particular issue there was no fierceer advocate for that position. if he was on the other side there was no more fierce opponent. you heard some of that in some of the remarks there from majority leader mcconnell and his legendary stamina when he went overseas to see our men and women in uniform lawmakers would say they would go for 18, 20 hour days. mccain would squeeze in another meeting and seemed to have boundless energy when it came to our men and women in uniform and also forcing a little bit of bipartisanship. you guys have been talking about, the lack of function here on capitol hill but forcing the leaders of the republicans and democrats in the senate and the house to lay wreaths together to try to bring both sides together as least for a moment. >> having covered the pentagon senator mccain is the only guy

who could make generals shudder to testify in front of the senate armed services committee. >> we'll continue our coverage of the mccain memorial after a short break. some of the sights and sounds of this morning. watch. >> he had america's fighting spirit, our noble idealism, our solemn patriotism, and our slightly irreverent streak all rolled into one. >> however you choose to do your part, i hope you do it the way he did, with energy and urgency, playing for keeps, never back on your heels, never letting principle yield to expedience. >> in every generation there are those who put country first, who prize service ahead of self, who summon idealism from a cynical age. john mccain was such a man.

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♪ speak out this is the scene moments ago as we watched the reeves being laid today. much has been said about john mccain's efforts of bringing both sides of the out together as mentioned by mitch mcconnell and chuck schumer as they walked up together. whether or not that legacy will be able to continue given the political environment in the united states is a big question. >> the vice president said the president asked me to be here on behalf of a grateful nation. an emotional ceremony today and when we saw the family say goodbye once again. they will have another chance tomorrow at the national cathedral and then at the naval academy on sunday. thank you for joining us for the special coverage of today's capitol hill memorial for senator john mccain. we will have continuing coverage all weekend of the ceremonies and a complete wrap up of

today's activities on "special report" tonight. >> please join me tonight at 7:00 for "the story" ." "outnumbered" is coming up next. our friend meghan mccain was once they are. >> that's right. we are just coming off of the ceremony at the n that wrapped up just moments ago as washington pauses to remember the legacy of senator john mccain. in one of the rarest of american traditions reserved for the nation's greatest leaders, this is "outnumbered." i'm dagen mcdowell. here today is lisa boothe, jessica tarlov, rachel campos duffy, and joining us on the couch for the first time today, chris wilson, republican pollster and the ceo of wpa intelligence. great of you to join us today as we remember a great hero in